 |
| Photo: University of Minnesota |
By Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Cropping Systems, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties, and Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator- Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties
Choppers have started running and alfalfa harvest is underway, at least in southern and south-central Minnesota. 15 of the 16 cooperators have submitted samples so far this year and five have harvested. Most fields have reached at least 20 inches tall and are transitioning to the bud growth stage. While there is still some variability between fields, warmth and rain over the weekend has brought fields closer to the harvest window across the central region. Meanwhile, farmers are keeping an eye out for insects. While some aphids and a few adult alfalfa weevils were spotted over the last few days in cooperator fields, populations were nowhere near economic impact levels. There were no reports of visible insect damage, and lady beetles are keeping aphid populations in check. Some cooperators have plans to harvest later this week so check the forage quality data below to see if fields in your area are getting close to your ideal harvest window.
Please remember to take a moment to fill out the alfalfa pest needs assessment survey at z.umn.edu/alfalfapestsurvey. This online survey lets you voice what issues you are seeing in the field first-hand for alfalfa pests. Participating in the survey will help determine what areas of Minnesota and surrounding states have had increased issues with insect outbreaks and direct future alfalfa educational programming and research.
The goal of the Alfalfa Harvest Alert program is to alert growers to start the first cut of alfalfa when the crop is at a level of quality and yield potential that meets their specific needs. As a reminder, the goal is not to try and name the exact day of harvest. Rather the goal is to encourage growers who are busy with management of other crops to be more strategic with hay crop harvest as it relates to their needs.
How to get harvest alert data
The May 27th Alfalfa Harvest Alert data is available as a pdf. However, there is also a tool that contains this year’s data and all the data from every county and farm that has participated in the Alfalfa Harvest Alert Program since 1997. As an added bonus, this year we are also including data from University of Wisconsin Madison Extension! Go to z.umn.edu/AlfalfaHarvestAlert to view the data. You can also get the most recent information through email by signing up at z.umn.edu/QuadCountySignup and clicking the "Alfalfa Scissor-Cut and Harvest Alert" box.Contact information
If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Estrem, UMN Extension Educator- Sustainable Agriculture, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, & Sherburne Counties at estre060@umn.edu, (763)-515-1023, or Taylor Herbert, UMN Extension Educator- Crops, Wright, McLeod, & Meeker Counties at therbert@umn.edu, (612)-394-5229
Comments
Post a Comment